Sorry, Justice Isn't in the Budget

It won’t be a national story this week, but it ought to be. The legal landscape of America’s second-largest city is about to dramatically change—and not for the better. Soon, in Los Angeles, a third-world mist will descend upon the justice system. Hundreds of court officials, most of whom are essential to the administration of justice, will be laid off thanks to California’s eternal budget crisis.

“The public and attorneys will immediately recognize that the court’s capabilities have been dramatically reduced, and when I say immediately I mean immediately,” said Los Angeles Superior Court spokesman Allan Parachini. “Even those just trying to pay a traffic ticket will be impacted.” The next round of layoffs there, not incidentally, is due in September.

It would be bad enough if cities in California alone were doomed to such embarrassments. But it’s a national epidemic. All over America, court systems are ebbing away from their central place in our lives. If you get a ticket, you can’t get a court date for months. If you file a lawsuit, you can’t get a trial for years. If you need a quick hearing, you have to wait, and if you need a court order … well, then … you might want to think about buying rather than renting.Pick a state. Court-system budgets in Massachusetts, Arizona, Florida, George, Illinois, Michigan, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Texas, and Virginia have been dramatically slashed, resulting in diminished services for litigants. And there is more to come. In New York, for example, Governor David A. Paterson is reportedly recommending another $130 million cut, which court officials say would generate 2,000 layoffs around the Empire State.

The National Law Journal, which ought to know, offers even more statistics. In Massachusetts, there are 600 fewer court officials than there were in 2008. In Florida, 291 positions have been slashed. At a time when more judges are needed, none are being hired. At a time when more people have less money, court costs are rocketing. Filing fees in Georgia, for example, were increased last year from $80 to $300.

It’s hard to imagine a more obvious example of the decline of a civilization than its inability to continue to provide adequate and timely justice for its citizens. Yet state and local governments—taking their cues from Congress—have de-prioritized the funding of our justice systems to the point where more and more Americans simply cannot get their day in court. The disturbing trend was in place before the economic downturn began in 2008. But there are even fewer breaks on it now.

Like everything else in life, you get what you pay for out of a court system. So don’t complain to your lawyer or your judge the next time you go to court seeking redress of a grievance and finding yourself on interminable hold. It’s your legislator’s fault. It’s your governor’s fault. It’s your own fault, too.